Trust and Objects: Trust Building Capacities of Objects in Interorganizational Collaboration

Abstract

Research has paid attention to individual dispositions of trust and the interpersonal trust relations among boundary spanners leaving little attention to objects in relation to trust building in interorganizational collaboration processes. This study explores the dynamic relation between trust and objects in interorganizational collaboration. A longitudinal study of an innovative tele-home monitoring service involving health professionals from hospitals, municipalities, and general practice clinics forms the empirical context for this study. This study demonstrates that trust is not alone a human feature but also a dimension of objects since objects mediate and build trust among actors by creating a focused communication and shared knowledge, improving predictalibility and transparency in behavior and decision-making, and  creating visibility about work contexts and tasks. In the context of this paper these three features denote objects’ trust building capacities which support shared problem-solving and collaboration. The study, however, also show a flipside of objects where they may create mistrust and thereby act as barriers for collaboration. Overall, these insights contribute to the literature about trust in interorganizational collaboration processes by foregrounding the role of objects in trust building processes and exploring their trust building capacities.